Lawd knows it’s been a “hot minute” (as the kids say) since EcoJoes dot com has had the care and maintenance it deserves. There there, website, it’s all better now.

Anyhoo, on a completely different note, awhile back I was lucky enough to receive a sample of colored shell mulch from none other than Colored Shell Mulch ™©. Intrigued, I learnt a bit more about their company.

Their mulch is lighter than rock (which makes shipping more eco-friendly and easier), but not so light that it floats off. It’s made out o’ seashells, and is colored with a non-toxic, water-based product. Take a gander at it right here:

Also, like any mulch, it helps READ MORE »

As you might already know if you’re an EcoHero, I’m all about keeping things out of the landfill, reusing, and getting things for free.

College move-out days are a perfect combo of those three things. Students moving out of dorms throw away TONS of perfectly good items, including laptops, clocks, futons, and even money!

Right around now is when many colleges have their move out day. So my humble recommendation to thee is to hop on The Ol’ Google and find out when your local college’s move out date is.

On that day, or the day after, head out to their dumpsters and you can find all kinds of great stuff that would otherwise be sent to the landfill. Trust me, you’ll be astounded.

Tomorrow is NC State’s move-out date; who knows what perfectly good things I might find?

Ever since me and my life-partner, Tiff, moved into a house with a yard, I’ve had a garden. EcoJoes’s award-winning journalists have covered a plethora of gardening-related topics, including how to build a rain barrel and how to make some compost lasagna.

It’s a good way to commune with nature, whilst growing some delicioso fresh vegetables n’ fruits.

Unfortunately, sometimes nature communes back, and the garden pays the price. I’m talkin’ ’bout deer.

For the last two years or so, deer have savagely ravaged my innocent garden, tearing the young, defenseless plants, flipping me the bird, and cruelly trimming plants down to bare stalks.

Last year, eyes brimming with tears o’ fury as I looked over the remnants of my garden, I vowed to stand up to the deer. And lo, about a month ago on Freecycle, I found some coyote urine.

I’ve heard from a few people that coyote urine could scare off deer, so we’ll see. Also, I have my doubts that “wild animals communicate” with bottles of pee.

Will the coyote urine actually keep deer away from the garden? Or will they ignore it and continue to munch away? Also, how does one collect coyote urine humanely?

Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion of Coyote Pee vs. The Deer.

Hello? Is anyone here? Ugh, look at all these cobwebs on this website. It looks like it hasn’t been touched in over 3 months…

Wait, what’s that sound? Did you hear that? Hello? Hell– AAAHHH *crazed, bedraggled EcoJoe rushes up out of the darkness*

Hello there! And welcome to EcoJoes dot com! Say, do you ever get a hankering for some locally-raised, newly-ground hamburgers on fresh-baked buns? Well have I got a treat for you.

Bull City Burger and Brewery is a locally owned, independent burgershop n’ brewery located in “The City of Medicine”, Durham, NC.

Local Food

Not only is most of their food from North Carolina farms READ MORE »

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Self, I do enjoy using the Google. But what if there was a way to use it and help the Earth at the same time?”.

I never thought that either, until I ran into EcoSearch. EcoSearch is powered by Google, so you get the same, high-quality search results that you’ve come to expect from this search behemoth.

Google shares some of its advertising money with partner companies like EcoSearch. EcoSearch then goes and donates 100% of its profits to various and diverse environmental charities.

In short, I’d recommend setting EcoSearch as your homepage, and maybe even adding its search bar to your browser. You’ll be searching the internets anyway, so why not help the environment also?

Do you put off flushing your old-timey toilet, dreading the inevitable waste of water as gallons and gallons of good clean water are used by your old, inefficient terlet? But buying a new, high efficiency toilet just seems out of your budget?

Amigo, I think I have the solution. If you live in Durham, North Carolina, keep on reading. If not, contact your local municipality or city and see if they have a similar program.

The City o’ Durham is running a Toilet Rebate Program, wherein they’ll give you a $100 credit for every old, inefficienct toilet that you replace with a WaterSense-approved, high-efficiency toilet.

The new toilet must use 1.28 gallons per flush at most, and has to be on this here EPA high efficiency toilet list.

I ended up buying 3 Project Source high efficiency toilets from good ol’ Lowes, and although they weren’t listed on the EPA list, I spoke with someone from Durham Department of Water Management, and he told me that they’d add that toilet brand to the approved list soon.

So now I have 3 low-flow toilets that’ll save money and cut water use for years to come. Also, I actually made money buying these toilets!

Cha-ching! I suggest you take part in the Durham toilet rebate program before it’s too late!

Save water, save money, that’s the power of EcoJoes.

Now, it’s been a lil’ while since I last mentioned how to get some all-natural free herbal tea or free organic tea, but fret not. Here’s yet another way to get some delicioso tea samples — for free!

Hop onto the information superhighway and navigate your way to →Twinings USA←, where you can request you some free tea (while supplies last)!

Heck, you can even stay in the EcoJoes©™ spirit and get some organic and fair trade certified tea.